Business and Professions Code section 2636.5
(a)
An applicant may be issued a license without a written examination if he or she meets all of the following:(1)
He or she is at the time of application licensed as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in a state, district, or territory of the United States having, in the opinion of the board, requirements for licensing equal to or higher than those in California, and he or she has passed, to the satisfaction of the board, an examination for licensing that is, in the opinion of the board, comparable to the examination used in this state.(2)
He or she is a graduate of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant education program approved by the board, or has met the requirements of Section 2653.(3)
He or she files an application with the board and meets the requirements prescribed by Sections 2635 and 2650.(b)
An applicant for licensure under subdivision (a), whose application is based on a certificate issued by a physical therapy licensing authority of another state may be required to file a statement of past work activity.(c)
An applicant who has filed a physical therapy application under this section with the board for the first time may, between the date of receipt of notice that his or her application is on file and the date of receipt of his or her license, perform as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, as appropriate, under the supervision of a physical therapist licensed in this state.
Source:
Section 2636.5, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=2636.5.
(accessed Apr. 24, 2025).